From J. C. Philpot's Daily Portions
August 17 "If a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not
crowned, except he strive lawfully." 2 Timothy 2:5 In other words, it is not a bare striving, but a striving
according to certain rules. But these rules are spiritual rules; and being
spiritual rules, exclude everything of sense, reason, and nature. Now man,
in an unregenerate condition, whether he be in a state of profanity, or in a
state of profession, has no spiritual knowledge of the way by which to
overcome. He may strive against his lusts; he may endeavor to overcome those
things that conscience bears testimony against; but he is not crowned,
because he strives not lawfully. He strives in his own strength; contends in
his own wisdom; and trusts in his own righteousness. Such strugglers and
such overcomers (if overcomers they ever are) are not crowned, because they
strive not according to the rules laid down in God's word. This at once
excludes all creature righteousness, human wisdom, and natural strength.
This takes the crown completely off the creature, and puts it on the head of
the Redeemer. There are certain rules then laid down in the Scripture,
according to which we are to fight and to overcome. For instance, the Lord
of life and glory is held out in the word as our pattern--"He has left us an
example that we should follow his steps." He fought the battle before us;
and he gained the victory, not for himself only, but for his people; and he
has left us here below to walk in his footsteps, and to overcome in the same
way as he did; as we read, "To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with
me in my throne; even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in
his throne." All striving then, and all overcoming, which is not in the
steps of Christ, and precisely (in a measure) in the same way in which Jesus
strove and overcame, is not the overcoming which is crowned with God's
approbation.